Proximity to War

Please step into your role of support!

We’re Still Here

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to write because there’s too much to say and nothing to say.

The world feels like it’s spinning out of control, time is flying by at breakneck speed, and somehow we’re also still in Oct 7, 2023.

So much has been written and recorded about what’s turned into the most televised war in human history. Israel has been under a scrutinizing, criticizing, nitpicking microscope for the past year, and the painful part is that the microscope is being held by Israel’s allies, and so-called friends.

We’re used to being hated by our enemies. We’re used to being lied about, lied to, attacked, pushed, pulled, and threatened by those who seek our destruction. But when our allies engage in the false talking points of our enemies, to our detriment? That hurts.

When our friends in the US and other Western countries analyze the path Israel takes in this war with a scrutiny that displays both a lack of trust and a fundamental misunderstanding of who our enemy is - that’s upsetting.

We know we’re fighting a war that is both just and necessary. We know we’re fighting it in an impossibly moral manner that is unparalleled by any urban war in history. We know that we are facing enemies whose culture is to revere hatred and death, and those enemies insidiously spread their values through every society they touch. We need our friends to deeply understand that and have our backs, as friends do.

The Nation of Israel Lives

We’re standing tall against those enemies, and the heart and life of the Jewish nation is beating strongly. We just celebrated the holiday of Sukkot and Simchat Torah - one year from the Black Shabbat on our Hebrew calendar. There were so many discussions and opinions on how to hold both the celebration of our holiday, our Torah, our life and our land in one hand, and hold the endless pain and suffering of our nation in the other. There’s no right or wrong answer, and the streets of Israel were flooded with emotion, love, and life over the holidays.

Now we’re in a time frame that’s known as “אחרי החגים” which means “After the Holidays” - A time when we can go back to our normal routine that’s meant to be uninterrupted until Chanuka in 2 months time.

But what is normal routine? Is it normal that countless men and women STILL have their personal lives put on hold while they battle savage enemies on multiple fronts? Is it normal that there are tens of thousands of people who are displaced from their homes within their own country? Is it normal that families who have lived for generations on sprawling lands that they cultivate, explore and love are stuffed into tiny hotel rooms with no space to breathe? Is it normal that millions of Israelis have daily sirens that signal incoming enemy missiles with anywhere from 5-90 seconds to take shelter?

None of this is normal. And yet, in what’s shaping up to be a new “Greatest Generation”, young men and women of Israel have put their personal lives to the side and thrown themselves into the challenge of becoming warriors and heroes to defend and protect their families and homes.

What is Our Role?

We’re all experiencing this war in different proximities. There are those who are in the fields literally fighting terrorists on a daily basis who are living, breathing and surrounded by war. There are families on the border of the war who live with sirens, planes and booms as nonstop background noise. There are the HEROIC wives of soldiers in the field who have to run their young families’ lives alone, with endless worry lining everything they do. Some of those heroic wives will now be running their families alone forever.

There are the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of our men in the field who do everything they can to support their warriors, while trying to keep life as normal as possible for the rest of the family back home.

The role for those of us who are experiencing this war from a further proximity- whether from Israel or abroad - is to show those on the front lines and their families that they are NOT ALONE. To step into a role of support for our brothers and sisters who are carrying the heavier burden.

The people of Israel have tremendous gratitude towards our supporters abroad who have privately donated over one billion dollars in resources and aid since the beginning of this war. But the war isn’t over, and our people on the front lines still need help. We need to be there for them for as long as they are out there for us.

A Personal Request

My friend Hadassa’s son Naftali is in his third round of reserve duty. He has fought for over 250 days since last Oct 7, and it’s not over yet. Hundreds of days in the field has an effect on the equipment the soldiers use, and some of their items are in desperate need of replacement. Unfortunately, like all bureaucratic entities, the army sometimes moves slowly - too slowly for the realities of battle. This battle is not just the battle of the IDF - this is a battle for the Jewish people, and all of us have the privilege to be able to participate and contribute in support of the mission of protecting our nation and homeland.

The soldiers in Naftali’s unit are experienced warriors who have become experts in battle. One of their lifesaving resources is a high quality drone that has detected threats and saved soldiers from harm multiple times. The drone was lost during an operation, and must be replaced ASAP.

If you have the means and the will to contribute towards the costs of a new one, we can support our men by purchasing and dispatching the right drone far faster than waiting for the request to go through official channels.

I can personally vouch that 100% of the funds will go towards the equipment necessary to save lives.

Thank you to anyone who chooses to donate, it is very much appreciated!

US

Zelle: Hadassafield@gmail.com

Paypal: https://shorturl.at/Odg8H

Israel

Paybox: https://payboxapp.page.link/f6dcDj7Ce6S1vauB6

I promise you - the people of Israel, the warriors of Israel and their families- feel the love and support!

Am Yisrael Chai